This invention relates generally to fabric-covered chair rails, and more particularly to a chair rail whose pieces are formed by a molding covered by a replaceable band of fabric that need not be precisely cut to size and yet serves to fully and smoothly cover the molding.
In rooms, halls, vestibules and other interiors whose walls are panelled with wainscoting, it is customary to provide a chair rail which creates a horizontal waistline and acts as a buffer to protect the fine woodwork from the backs of chairs or other articles of furniture placed against the panelling. Protection by means of chair rails is even more important when interior walls are lined with costly and relatively delicate fabric material.
The traditional chair rail is formed by a wooden molding attached to the walls around the room or other interior. While the primary purpose of a chair rail is functional to provide a protective bumper, because it produces a horizontal waistline, it has the effect of making the room appear larger and lower. It is for this reason that chair rails are often found in bedrooms, dining rooms, hallways, as well as in living rooms. Moreover, the use of chair rails is not limited to panelled or fabric-covered walls, for such rails may be installed on the advice of interior decorators on painted or papered walls to add a purely decorative touch thereto.
With a conventional wooden chair rail, the decorative possibilities are limited to the color and contour of the rail, and one cannot change this color without repainting or repapering the wood. Thus should a householder make a major design change in the decor of a particular room, the existing design of the chair rail may not be properly coordinated with the new decor.